City of York Council has organised the city's first ever duck race in aid of Martin House Hospice as part of the Festival of Rivers 2007.

This will be held on Sunday 1 July on the River Ouse, starting from Blue Bridge and finishing at Rowntree Park.

Ducks can be sponsored for £5 each and prizes include a pair of tickets for the October meeting at York Racecourse, complete with lunch; a night at the Holiday Inn for two people; a ride in a hot air balloon courtesy of Virgin; a glider flight from Rufforth; cases of York Brewery Beer; brewery tours; vouchers from Browns, Fenwicks and Acomb Travel; and many other items. All of the proceeds will go to the Martin House Hospice. 

For more details, visit www.yorkfestivals.com and follow the Martin House link.

Also on 1 July, Rowntree Park will be alive with the sound of music as the council's performing arts centres hold their eagerly-anticipated Summer Concert outdoors for the first time.  More than 20 groups will be performing, with around 250 children participating in total.

Both of these events will be part of the Festival of Rivers, which runs from June 23 to 15 July.